The West Village’s Stonewall Inn has become a place of renewed pride in recent weeks. The front of the Manhattan bar serves as a memorial to the 49 people killed in Orlando, Florida, on June 12 in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. President Barack Obama declared the area surrounding the inn a national monument that he hopes will “tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights” in the country.
Prior to its re-entry into the news, however, you may not have known that in 1969, demonstrations at Stonewall — sparked by a police raid at the inn — were a turning point that led to the emergence of gay rights groups in the United States and other parts of the world.
Around the world, there are hundreds if not thousands of such places — as well as art pieces — that signify hardship, hope and progress, but their significance is often unknown.